| News of "The X-Files" Series Finale |
| As reported on the CNN website: "The X-Files," the Emmy-winning sci-fi drama that thrust two federal agents into spooky paranormal situations, will end its nine-season run on the Fox television network in May, Daily Variety reported in its Thursday edition. Series creator Chris Carter decided to pull the plug on the show, whose ratings have been hurt this season by the departure of star David Duchovny and by tougher competition. "It's the ninth inning. We want to go out on top," the trade paper quoted Carter as saying. "We wanted to go out as a strong show." Carter hoped Duchovny would return as Special Agent Fox Mulder for the two-part series finale opposite Gillian Anderson's Agent Dana Scully. Both actors, whose mutual off-screen antipathy was well documented, are on board for a sequel to the 1998 "X-Files" feature. Duchovny phased out his involvement in the series last season, and former "Terminator 2" co-star Robert Patrick was drafted in as Agent John Doggett. "The X-Files" premiered in September 1993 on the Fox network, which is part of News Corp's Fox Entertainment Group unit. Its cult hit status soon snowballed into mainstream success, and the show won 15 Emmy Awards over the years, including an acting prize for Anderson. Although ratings were off this season, with the show ranking No. 72 out of 162, it remains a strong performer in syndication. As reported on the Official X-File Website: PRESS RELEASE Wednesday, January 16, 2002 THE X-FILES REACHES CLIMACTIC SERIES FINALE THIS MAY ON FOX 'THE X-FILES� ninth season finale will mark the conclusion of the hit series on FOX, it was announced today by Chris Carter, creator and executive producer of the series. The finale will mark the series� 201st episode. �This show needed a network like FOX who believed in it from the beginning. Their support over nine years turned the show from a cult phenomenon into an international hit,� said Carter. He added, �This has been an incredible decade of my life.� Sandy Grushow, Chairman, Fox Television Entertainment Group, commented, �We respect Chris' wishes to end the show this season. He has devoted ten years of his life to his creation, which has been a tremendous asset to both the network and the studio,� Grushow added, �We are incredibly proud to have been home to the series and are truly grateful for our partnership with Chris Carter.� Premiering on FOX on Friday, September 10, 1993, THE X-FILES quickly became a cult hit. The series moved to Sundays during its fourth season, on Sunday, October 27th, 1996. It has been the top-rated off-net hour since it launched into syndication. It spawned a blockbuster feature film in 1998 and has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon. THE X-FILES has won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Dramatic Series as well as Golden Globe Awards for David Duchovny for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series and Gillian Anderson for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series. It has garnered a total of 61 Emmy Award nominations since its inception, and has won numerous Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Anderson, Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, Outstanding Art Direction for a Series, Outstanding Makeup for a Drama Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. THE X-FILES also has received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Over the past eight years, agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) along with Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) have encountered unexplained phenomena, monsters and extraterrestrial life, from the bizarre to the terrifyingly commonplace, all while defining the science fiction genre like no other series before or since. Last season, Agent Scully and her new associate in the X-Files office, Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick), investigated the mysterious alien abduction of Agent Mulder and successfully saved him from a fate that would have placed him under alien control. This season, agents Scully and Doggett have been joined by agent Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) in their investigations, including a shocking government cover-up with possible ties to the FBI and Scully and Mulder�s newborn son. Chris Carter is the creator of THE X-FILES, which is produced by Ten Thirteen Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television. Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and John Shiban are executive producers. Michelle MacLaren and Kim Manners are co-executive producers; David Amann is supervising producer; Paul Rabwin, Harry V. Bring and Tony Wharmby are producers. As Reported in The Providence Journal's Lifebeat Section on 1-19-02 They're finally closing "The X-Files." The television series about FBI agents tracking aliens and other unusual suspects will end its nine-year run on Fox in May, with its 201st episode. The decision to wrap up "The X-Files," which became a signature show for Fox and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson into stars, followed network discussions with creator Chris Carter. Duchovny bowed out of the series last season, leading to the introduction of new casts members, Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish as agents working with Anderson. "The X-Files" will end with a two-part episode, written by Carter, which he promised will tie up loose ends. ("X-Files" fans have heard that before.) He'd welcome Duchovny's return for the finale, Carter said. Unknown Reporter: "X-FILES" star David Duchovny will likely pop up on the show again - now that it's been canceled. Duchovny, who played Special Agent Fox Mulder for 81/2 seasons, left the show last year - vowing never to return after settling a long legal dispute with Fox and the show's creator, Chris Carter. But after Carter decided to end the series late Wednesday night, he spoke to Duchovny who agreed to return in time for the series finale. "David was open to it and now the [legal and logistical] complication of trying to get it done comes," Carter told The Post yesterday. "I just have to make the show as interesting as possible, not just for David but for the fans." "The X-Files" follows the adventures of a group of FBI agents assigned to solve unexplained, paranormal cases called X-Files. Along the way Mulder (Duchovny) and his partner, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), dealt with a vast government conspiracy, an alien invasion and a scores of nightmarish, supernatural ghouls. Shortly before Duchovny officially left the show last year, the producers introduced a new character, Special Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and this season paired him with another new character, Special Agent Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish). Carter said he decided to end the show for a number of reasons - including slumping ratings and a feeling that viewers may have been having a hard time embracing the show's two new stars. "I told the actors that I didn't want them to feel responsible for me making this decision," Carter said. "I wanted to go out while we were still strong." Carter said he plans to tie up many of the show's loose ends in the series finale. Some elements he would carry-over in "X-Files" films. "I hope to answer as many questions as I feel that I should answer, but hopefully this season finale will lead us in a very clear way towards this next movie that we'd like to do," he said. The series finale - in May - will be "The X-Files" 201st episode. |
| The X-Files and its affiliated characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and the Fox Network |